Konoha’s White Fang Shines

Chapter 61: A Difficult Situation

As Genma struggled to make sense of Yuji's carefree attitude, Raido, on the other hand, looked as if he had been struck by lightning, his face filled with disbelief.

What kind of "Sword Tournament" was this?!

Although the tournament hadn't officially started yet, Raido could already foresee chaos breaking out.

The dueling rules were straightforward—while ninjutsu was prohibited, chakra could still be used, which reassured Raido somewhat.

However, what truly confused and frustrated him was the victory condition: contestants had to voluntarily step onto the stage and defeat all challengers to win.

Such a brutal, chaotic format—it was almost too unbelievable to be real!

For a moment, Raido even questioned his own hearing and comprehension skills.

Just when he thought the situation couldn't get any more ridiculous, the flat-topped announcer on stage revealed a new twist—they would be using a point-based system displayed on a large scoreboard.

Finally, Raido understood.

The final winner wouldn't be the last man standing but rather the contestant with the highest total score.

That made a lot more sense.

After all, with so many competitors, a traditional elimination-style tournament would take forever, and a battle royale format would be pure chaos.

With the rules clarified, the tournament officially began.

Many skilled warriors immediately leaped onto the platform, eager to secure an early lead.

Since Raido had hesitated for a moment, he missed the initial rush and decided not to force his way in.

However, this slight delay gave him a clever idea.

Since the tournament involved multiple challengers fighting against the platform's current champion, it meant that as long as the champion kept rotating, many fighters would be forced to step onto the platform multiple times.

If Raido waited until the other competitors were exhausted, he would face weaker, fatigued opponents, increasing his chances of winning more efficiently.

What Raido didn't realize, however, was that other participants had thought the same thing.

This meant that only the most reckless fighters had jumped onto the stage first.

To counter overly passive players, the tournament also had a one-minute rule:

Anyone who wished to challenge the platform champion had to do so within one minute—otherwise, the champion would automatically win a round.

With this rule in place, the battle officially erupted into full force.

Unlike the tournament in the Land of Tsuchi, this competition was a true fight to the death.

While contestants weren't given wooden training swords for safety, the presence of numerous white-robed doctors on standby reassured participants that injuries could be treated immediately.

Thus, the air was filled with the clash of steel, battle cries, and the relentless hum of combat.

The arena was a storm of flashing blades and flying sparks.

Even from a distance, Genma and Kurenai couldn't help but feel a strong sense of yearning.

However, their mission took priority, forcing them to suppress their excitement and continue monitoring the town mayor.

—

Unlike the frenzied tournament spectators, the mayor remained seated in the shade of a luxurious pavilion, leisurely watching the battles unfold.

Unlike other noble figures, he didn't indulge in excessive feasts—instead, much like the Daimyo of Tsuchi, he preferred simple, elegant meals.

A cup of tea and a few pieces of pastry were enough to satisfy him.

For most of the time, the mayor maintained a neutral expression, observing the arena intently.

However, whenever a female swordsman stepped onto the stage, his pupils would slightly dilate.

This subtle reaction didn't escape Genma's sharp eyes.

At the same time, Kurenai also noticed the same detail—but rather than commenting, she casually reached over and pinched Genma's side.

"Mmmph—!"

Genma immediately covered his mouth, trying to suppress his pained reaction, giving Kurenai a pleading look.

"Don't you dare look at the female swordfighters," she whispered coldly. "Or I'll break your ribs."

Genma: (TT_TT) … So unfair.

He hadn't even done anything!

Still, he couldn't really argue.

After all, some of those female fighters wore outfits that were downright scandalous, especially in the middle of winter.

The arena's atmosphere became incredibly "steamy" whenever one of them entered the ring—literally, as if the heat of the crowd's gazes had condensed into mist.

Feeling utterly wronged, Genma reluctantly nodded and shifted his gaze strictly to the mayor, ignoring everything else.

However, after a while, a stunningly bold figure suddenly entered his view.

A tall woman with flowing hair, dressed in a shockingly revealing outfit, stepped onto the tournament grounds.

Despite the freezing weather, she wore fishnet stockings and minimal armor, flaunting her curves with confidence.

The mayor's reaction was immediate—through his binoculars, Genma could clearly see the glistening drool at the corner of his mouth.

The woman flashed a coy smile, subtly flipping her hair as she leaned in to whisper something to the mayor.

Their intimate posture was enough to make Genma's ribs ache once again—Kurenai's fingers had found their way back to his side.

"I'll take over surveillance. You read your book."

Before Genma could even beg for mercy, Kurenai declared her dominance.

Genma: "Yes, ma'am…"

Feeling utterly defeated, he picked up his book, while Kurenai fixed her full attention on the mayor.

As she watched, she noticed that despite his lustful expression, the mayor remained eerily composed.

He responded fluently to the woman's conversation, making Kurenai realize that he wasn't merely a simple-minded pervert.

Unfortunately, Kurenai lacked the ability to read lips, making it difficult to decipher their exchange.

Frustrated, she shifted her strategy, trying to analyze their body language.

However, the woman was positioned at an angle that made her face hard to see, making Kurenai's efforts largely ineffective.

With no better options, Kurenai sighed and turned to Genma.

"Alright. You can look now."

Genma: (゜o゜) ?!

"Keep your eyes on the mayor," she continued, her tone firm. "I'll reposition for a better vantage point."

Genma snapped out of his daze, instantly saluting like a soldier.

"Yes! Mission accepted!"

Kurenai didn't linger, swiftly darting across rooftops, looping around the buildings to get a clearer view of the woman's face.

From her new angle, Kurenai could now see that the woman was laughing uncontrollably, clearly amused by the mayor's words.

However, after a few more flirtatious exchanges, the woman gracefully stood up and began walking away, occasionally glancing back with playful smirks.

A major discovery.

Genma and Kurenai both realized it immediately.

Through their binoculars, they exchanged hand signals, agreeing that Kurenai should follow the woman while Genma continued monitoring the mayor.

At the same time, the Sword Tournament had reached its climax—

To Genma's surprise, Raido was the last man standing on the platform!

He had won.

As Raido grinned like a fool, he eagerly pulled the cloth off his reward—revealing a black blade.

A blade that absorbed light instead of reflecting it.

A true midnight weapon.

Meanwhile, the mayor, seemingly disinterested in the tournament's conclusion, turned his attention toward the woman's retreating figure—a spark of youthful ambition rekindling in his eyes.

For Genma, this was a major red flag.

If the mayor was about to do what he suspected… how were they supposed to monitor him?

This was not what he signed up for.

Feeling overwhelmed, Genma's shadow clone exploded, sending a flood of information to his real body.

As Genma processed the intel, his mind froze.

This was a problem.

A **very, very awkward

End of Chapter 61